Student Fails Assignment 'Cos Australia "Is Not A Country"

A university professor in the US has been fired after penalizing a student, claiming Australia is not a country.

27-year-old Ashley Arnold received feedback on an assignment claiming that Australia is in fact a continent, not a country.

Ashley wrote back to her professor, clarifying that Australia is indeed a continent AND a country.

Refusing to accept they're wrong, the professor wrote back “Australia is a continent; it is not a country. That error made it nearly impossible for you to accurately complete your week 2 research outline correctly."

"I want you to understand that any error in a project can invalidate the entire research project," the professor wrote.

"Research is like dominoes, if you accidentally knock over one piece the entire set will also fall."

Finally, after Ashley sent them a link to an "about Australia" page, the professor acknowledged they were wrong and gave Ashley a B+.

The university has now replaced the professor and issued an apology on Twitter.

We deeply regret the interaction between our professor & our student. We have apologized to Ashley, replaced the instructor, & are reimbursing her tuition for the course. To our friends in Australia, we know that you are a country & a continent, best of luck in the Olympic games!